Pope endorses worldwide anti-poverty action
-02/07/05
Pope Benedict XVI has given his personal support to todayís Make Poverty History rally in Scotland, which has attracted nearly a quarter of a million protestors, urging the leaders of the worldís richest nations to take decisive action against global poverty.
In a message read out in Edinburgh, the Pope urged world leaders to honour past commitments to help the world’s poorest. His message reinforces a similar plea from the Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican), the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster (Catholic), and the leader of the Free Churches Group (Protestant), writing to prime minister Tony Blair together with the head of the Council of Mosques and Imams in the UK (Muslim).
“God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of everyone and of all peoples,” the Pope said in a message sent to Scottish Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, who helped to lead the Edinburgh rally with Cardinal Cormac Murphy OíConnor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“For this reason, people from the world’s richest countries Ö should urge their leaders to fulfil the pledges made to reduce world poverty, especially in Africa, by the year 2015,” the Pope added, referring to the UNís millennium development goals.
Benedict XVI said that he would pray for the G8 leaders at Gleneagles to play “their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world’s goods.”
There had earlier been controversy when Pope Benedict had failed to respond to a letter from Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof, with his secretariat sending only a publicity photograph in reply.
Some Make Poverty History supporters also challenge the Catholic Churchís position against contraception, which they say condemns those living in regions with high levels of HIV/AIDS infection exposed to illness and death.
But such disputes were put aside today as people from all walks of life united in common commitment to ending world poverty, which claims 55,000 deaths a day.
The UK-initiated campaign Make Poverty History, which is made up of hundreds of leading faith groups, development organisations, trade unions and civil society groups across the world, was launched in January 2005.
Its three core principles are trade Justice, the ending of debt, and a more and better aid. It sees these as part of a wider economic and political process of change, including the rooting out of corruption in all countries.
In mid-June, the G7 finance ministers agreed with Blairís G8 plans to offer 100 percent debt relief to 18 of the poorest countries in the world. The deal is widely seen as a breakthrough, but development campaigners are scrutinising the fine print of all such agreements for fudges, delays and attempts to disguise existing pledges as new money.
“There is suddenly a real chance – the sort that comes but once in a generation – for Africa to reverse its three decades of stagnation,” Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor said of the momentum signified by G8 rallies and Live 8 shows.
Campaigners in Africa itself are working hard for similar goals, and to hold their governments to account. But the profile of their work has been lost in the media based celebrity blitz.
Many Edinburgh protestors have been wearing white today. Some created a giant Make Poverty History slogan visible from the sky. The event also included a three-minute silence at 3pm this afternoon.
Gordon Brown, Britain’s Chancellor, will address a separate Christian Aid rally this evening.
Pope endorses worldwide anti-poverty action
-02/07/05
Pope Benedict XVI has given his personal support to today’s Make Poverty History rally in Scotland, which has attracted nearly a quarter of a million protestors, urging the leaders of the world’s richest nations to take decisive action against global poverty.
In a message read out in Edinburgh, the Pope urged world leaders to honour past commitments to help the world’s poorest. His message reinforces a similar plea from the Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican), the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster (Catholic), and the leader of the Free Churches Group (Protestant), writing to prime minister Tony Blair together with the head of the Council of Mosques and Imams in the UK (Muslim).
“God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of everyone and of all peoples,” the Pope said in a message sent to Scottish Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, who helped to lead the Edinburgh rally with Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“For this reason, people from the world’s richest countries Ö should urge their leaders to fulfil the pledges made to reduce world poverty, especially in Africa, by the year 2015,” the Pope added, referring to the UN’s millennium development goals.
Benedict XVI said that he would pray for the G8 leaders at Gleneagles to play “their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world’s goods.”
There had earlier been controversy when Pope Benedict had failed to respond to a letter from Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof, with his secretariat sending only a publicity photograph in reply.
Some Make Poverty History supporters also challenge the Catholic Church’s position against contraception, which they say condemns those living in regions with high levels of HIV/AIDS infection exposed to illness and death.
But such disputes were put aside today as people from all walks of life united in common commitment to ending world poverty, which claims 55,000 deaths a day.
The UK-initiated campaign Make Poverty History, which is made up of hundreds of leading faith groups, development organisations, trade unions and civil society groups across the world, was launched in January 2005.
Its three core principles are trade Justice, the ending of debt, and a more and better aid. It sees these as part of a wider economic and political process of change, including the rooting out of corruption in all countries.
In mid-June, the G7 finance ministers agreed with Blair’s G8 plans to offer 100 percent debt relief to 18 of the poorest countries in the world. The deal is widely seen as a breakthrough, but development campaigners are scrutinising the fine print of all such agreements for fudges, delays and attempts to disguise existing pledges as new money.
“There is suddenly a real chance – the sort that comes but once in a generation – for Africa to reverse its three decades of stagnation,” Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor said of the momentum signified by G8 rallies and Live 8 shows.
Campaigners in Africa itself are working hard for similar goals, and to hold their governments to account. But the profile of their work has been lost in the media based celebrity blitz.
Many Edinburgh protestors have been wearing white today. Some created a giant Make Poverty History slogan visible from the sky. The event also included a three-minute silence at 3pm this afternoon.
Gordon Brown, Britain’s Chancellor, will address a separate Christian Aid rally this evening.